


Driving Lessons

by KaytiKazoo



Series: All We Do Is Drive [1]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Driving, M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:13:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27593945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaytiKazoo/pseuds/KaytiKazoo
Summary: Trevor teaches Deke to drive.
Relationships: Trevor Khan & Deke Shaw
Series: All We Do Is Drive [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2002129
Comments: 5
Kudos: 7





	Driving Lessons

“What do you mean, you never learned how to drive?” Trevor asked at lunch one day, sitting across from Deke at the little café table. They’d decided to walk off the company campus and get lunch at the café around the corner that made amazing lunch food from locally sourced ingredients. 

“I never really had to,” Deke said. “Where I’m from, everything was within walking distance, or – so, you know. I didn’t have to.”

“Didn’t have to,” Trevor said under his breath. “Where are you from, New  York City?”

“ Uhh , something like it.” 

“Huh,” Trevor said. “Well, now you should probably learn.”

“And,  uhh , how do I do that? Like, just buy a car, and trial and error, or –”

“God, no! No, no, someone teaches you.”

“Oh,” Deke said. He frowned and looked down at his sandwich. “I, I don’t exactly have someone to teach me. I’ll just keep getting a ride share to work.” 

“No one?” Trevor asked. 

“Not, not really. That’s fine, though. Are there, like, schools? Maybe I could go to a driving school.”

“I can teach you, if you wanted.”

“Why would you?” Deke asked. 

“Because you’re my friend, and I can teach you how to drive without you having to trust some random person, or walk to work every day.”

“I’ve been doing fine on my own, you know.”

“I know, but it’s freeing. You can go anywhere, anytime, and no one can stop you, because you own a car, and have a license, and there’s so many roads open to you. It’s nice, sitting behind the wheel, knowing that the world is laid out in front of you. My sister and I used to take a yearly road trip, and we took turns deciding where we would go.”

“You have a sister?”

“Yeah, younger,  Avi . We started the year I got my license, and we drove up the coast, going to as many beaches as we wanted.” 

“Beaches are nice,” Deke said. 

“She’d like you,” Trevor said. “Avi, I mean. She’s, she’s your brand of chaotic.”

“Is that a good thing?”

Trevor nodded as he took a bite of his sandwich. 

“Well, I’ll teach you. This weekend, your schedule is free, so I’ll pick you up on Saturday morning and we’ll spend the day driving. Do you have a permit?”

“No?” Deke said.

“Okay, we’ll get you a permit first. We’ll have to go to the DMV. Let me look at your schedule.”

The DMV was dull, and Deke hated this part of the past. This part was the worst part of being an adult, having to go to the DMV and wait in line and deal with a middle-aged woman name Gladys who wore her glasses on a chain around her neck. But, despite how terrible and soul-sucking it was, he walked out with a learner’s permit, and with a driving lesson with Trevor on his schedule.

“I’m outside, are you coming?” Trevor said over the phone on Saturday morning. 

“Do I have to?”

“Deke, you agreed to this. We’re going driving, so get up and let’s go driving.”

“It’s not, I don’t want to hit someone, or something.”

“There’s an abandoned warehouse on the edge of town, and we can circle the parking lot, circle the building. No one uses it, and you won’t hit anyone.”

“I might still manage it. If anyone could, I could.”

“That’s not true. Come out.”

“Okay, I think I’m bisexual.”

“That’s not – really? That’s not what I meant, but congratulations. Thanks for telling me? Uhm. Me too.” 

Deke didn’t intentionally make a noise, but he made it nonetheless. 

“Now, stop stalling. Outside.”

“Fine. But I’m not happy about it.”

“Your complaint has been filed.”

“Filed where?”

“The trash, if you must know. Get your ass outside.”

“You’re awful, and a terrible assistant.”

“I’m a wonderful assistant.”

Deke finally put his shoes on and grabbed the keys to his apartment on his way out, hanging up the call. Trevor was sitting in the driver’s seat on his car, windows rolled down. 

“See, you’re up and out! Now, get in loser, we’re going driving.”

“What?”

“Have you never seen Mean Girls  _ either _ ?”

“No.”

“God, we need to get you a cinematic education.”

Deke climbed in and Trevor drove them to the very outskirts of town. Just as he said, Trevor had taken them to a warehouse, a big, empty parking lot set to one side. 

“Are you sure you want me to drive your nice new car?”

“It’s not that nice, and not that new.”

“Still. I’ve literally never been in the driver’s seat before.”

“I trust you, Deke.”

Trevor parked in one of the spots to one side, backing in so Deke just had to drive forward. Then, he unbuckled, and Deke protested. 

“Deke.”

“Right. Okay.”

He unbuckled himself and they climbed out, circling the car and then getting back in on opposite sides. 

“Okay, make sure you can comfortably reach the pedals – I am a touch taller than you so you might need to move your seat up – and adjust your mirrors.”

“What am I adjusting them for?”

“So you can see out of them.”

“What am I trying to see out of them?”

“Other cars.”

“Other cars. In this empty parking lot.”

“Yes, but when we get you on the road, it won’t be an empty parking lot. So, adjust your rearview here so it is aimed out the back windshield, and then the side so you can see the space behind the back bumper.”

“Okay.”

Deke carefully adjusted the mirrors.

“Good job. Okay. Next, put your foot on the brake.”

He peeked down under the steering wheel at the pedals near his feet, and  asked, “which ,  uhhh , which one is that?”

“The big one on the left there,” Trevor said, reaching into his space and pointing, his hand brushing Deke’s leg. 

“Okay. Foot on break.”

“Okay, and your stick shift is here. We’re in park now, you’re going to shift into drive, keeping your foot on the brake.” 

Deke followed instructions. If nothing else, he could listen and follow instructions pretty well. It had kept him alive to this point.

“Now, very slowly, take your foot off the brake, and lightly, extremely lightly put some pressure on the gas.”

Deke did that, but no matter how gentle he was, the car lurched forward.

“Lighter pressure than that.”

He eased up entirely and the car coasted forward slowly.

“Okay, a little bit more than that, barely touch it,” Trevor said with a laugh. 

“This is terrifying.”

“Yeah,” Trevor agreed. “It can be, but it gets easier, like most things. You’ll get used to how much pressure you need to maintain a speed, and it’ll become much easier. Just like anything you’ve started and had to get better at, the more you do it, the easier it’ll get.”

Deke kept the car going straight.

“Okay, you’re going to turn the wheel to the right here as we get close to the building so you can get used to turning.”

Deke took a deep breath and turned the wheel to the right as instructed, foot flexing against the pedal, too fast towards the building.

“Brake! Deke, hit the brake!”

He panicked for a second and didn’t take his foot off the gas, and then the moment passed, and pressed hard into the brake, the car coming to a sharp stop. He let out a breath, and shook out his hands. 

“It’s okay. That’ll happen.”

“I don’t like this.”

“You’re doing great. We’ll just have you turn sooner to avoid the building.”

“I don’t know if I should be doing this,” Deke said, reaching down and shifting the car into park. 

“I know it’s scary. I know, it’s something brand new, but you’re doing great, Deke.”

He didn’t want to crash the car, or hurt Trevor, or himself for that matter. He shouldn’t be behind the wheel. He couldn’t be trusted with this. Trevor touched his hand on the stick shift, and gave him a sweet smile.

“It’s okay. Just relax, Deke. I’m right here if you need. Just take it slow.”

Deke took in a deep breath and rested his forehead against the wheel. Trevor  pat his shoulder, and Deke let out the breath slowly. Finally, he put his shoulders back, screwed up whatever courage he had. He’d done impossible things before; a car would be no different. 

He put his hands on the wheel, his foot on the brake, and shifted the car out of park and into drive.

“Turn the wheel all the way to the right to start the turn, and let go of the brake. You’ve got this, alright? I’ve got the most faith in you.”

Deke didn’t mind it so much as he let go of the brake again, not as Trevor sat at his side, guiding him. Nothing could go wrong. 


End file.
